


Home Away from Home (Burn Down the Sky/Feels Like Home crossover)

by jupiter_james



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: AU Crossover, Anal Sex, Birthday Sex, Burn Down the Sky universe, Feels Like Home Universe, Fingering, M/M, Multi, Oral Sex, Threesome, firefighter!Ianto, firefighter!Kaidan, mechanic!JM
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-16
Updated: 2015-11-16
Packaged: 2018-05-02 00:41:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5227286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jupiter_james/pseuds/jupiter_james
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Burn Down the Sky/Feels Like Home crossover fic. A year after his infamous one night stand, John Matthew Shepard has overcome his agoraphobia enough to visit Virmire. There he gets reacquainted with his firefighter fling, and also Ianto's new boyfriend, firefighter Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Home Away from Home (Burn Down the Sky/Feels Like Home crossover)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ltleflrt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ltleflrt/gifts).



> This is a crossover fic from my [Burn Down the Sky Universe](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1340455/chapters/2794057) and Ltleflrt's [ Feels Like Home Universe](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1014392/chapters/2014365). It's a followup to the JM/Ianto crossover that I wrote, [One Night](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3482108), that I admit, was pure crack. 
> 
> I didn't plan to write this, but Ltleflrt is having a tough time after her jaw surgery, so I pulled out the big guns to hopefully make her feel better! I've never written an actual, explicit threesome before, so I do hope it makes some kind of sense. Enjoy it!

John Matthew Shepard slumped over the steering wheel of his Bronco, gripping it tightly until his knuckles turned white. Deep breaths in and out. One after another until his heart rate had returned to normal and he'd lost count of how many he'd required to calm down. The drive hadn't been too hard on him, or at least easier than he'd expected. Though it had tired him out since he'd insisted on doing it in one go. Traveling out of town was one thing, but he was fairly certain he wouldn't have been able to handle staying alone in a hotel room in an unfamiliar town. This way he didn't have an escape route either, which he knew he needed to prevent himself from chickening out. He was too tired to drive twelve hours back home to Citadel. Briefly, he'd considered that he'd made a mistake and hadn't been mentally ready to tackle his agoraphobia to this extent yet, but it was too late now. And he couldn't have ignored the text he'd received last month.

_Think you'd be ready to visit in April? It'd be the best birthday present ever._

Matt unhooked his cellphone from the holder on the dash and exited out of the GPS app to his picture gallery. He smiled at the dozens of photos he'd been sent for the past two months. A nice house. Old, but fully renovated. Walls painted various light shades of blue and green that flowed from one room to another to brighten up a house that suffered from small windows. Matt had looked at the pictures so often that he'd memorized every piece of furniture, heirloom, and photograph on the walls. It was familiar now. As much as it could be.

He shut the screen off and stuffed the phone in his pocket. Opened the car door and spent a minute convincing himself to let go of the steering wheel with his other hand before it started to cramp. His last lifeline. Judging the distance between where he'd parked in the driveway and how many steps before he reached the front door, Matt estimated it would take about twenty. He repeated the number over and over until he had some confidence back. Slowly he slid out of the truck and shut the door. Braced himself on the window for a moment and then turned, counting his footsteps. Twenty-six. Close enough.

Straightening his shoulders, he wiped his sweating palms on his jeans vigorously before raising his hand to ring the doorbell. His heart pounded in his chest, but the second the door opened, it skipped a beat and picked up the pace again for an entirely different reason.

Green eyes met his and a wide, dimpled grin followed. "Matt," Ianto said happily, "you really made it!" Instead of stepping aside, the firefighter took Matt's hand and tugged him over the threshold and shut the door behind them. Only an inch or two of space separated them.

"I made it," Matt said softly, relieved. Anxiety clenched in his chest, but it didn't overtake the overwhelming joy he felt at not only conquering it, but also being rewarded with seeing his now-infamous-in-Citadel one night stand again. Despite only having shared one night together a year ago, Ianto was _definitely_ familiar. And he smelled _fantastic_.

Ianto's long fingers curled around Matt's forearms, thumbs tracing the flower tattoos comfortingly. "Are you doing okay? Did the pictures and Skype tours help at all? Tell me what you need."

He hadn't immediately been able to force himself to look around, but now Matt tore his gaze away from Ianto and studied the living room. He didn't realize he'd been holding his breath until it puffed out of his chest. Familiar. This place was familiar. And it smelled nice. Like cedar and clean laundry. He was surprised that the photos _had_ helped, and pleased. His anxiety still gnawed at him, but he also felt grounded. Not about to derail into a panic attack at the drop of a hat. Then again, half of that had to do with the calm man holding onto him gently and smiling like Christmas had come early. And soon enough he was smiling back. "It helped," he confirmed. "I might need to take another dose of my meds later, but for now I'm good."

"Want me to go out and get your bags for you?"

"In a minute," Matt murmured. Ianto released his arms to slip his hands around his lean waist and Matt leaned forward, sliding his hands lightly up Ianto's chest to curl around the back of his neck. They both closed the last inch of distance for a kiss that felt an awful lot like it hadn't been a year in coming. Slow, sensual, just like he remembered. Ianto knew how to make out in a serious way, and Matt took full advantage. Their lips parted from the chaste welcoming kiss to a filthy branding of tongues with a small dose of nipping teeth that left their bodies practically glued together and faces flushed.

"Welcome to Virmire," Ianto grinned breathlessly.

Matt laughed and licked his kiss-swollen lips. "Thank you."

When they pulled apart, Ianto gave Matt's hips an extra squeeze before releasing him completely. "You look tired. The bed's made if you wanna take a nap. The couch is pretty comfy, too."

"I'm fine for now. Little amped up, truth be told. And cold. The hell is up with the weather here?" He shivered even though the house was warm. Spring sure didn't come early to Virmire by any stretch of the imagination. 

"We had another cold snap," Ianto said apologetically. "Winter likes to hang on up here. Come on in the kitchen and I'll make some tea."

Matt kept his grounding connection by holding Ianto's fingers loosely as he trailed him into the cozy kitchen space at the same time that the door leading from the kitchen to the garage opened. Two brown paper grocery bags stacked to overflowing preceded a low, rough voice. "I'm back."

Smiling wider, Matt released Ianto and stepped over to the door while Ianto filled the kettle with water. He took one of the bags. "Hi," he said.

"Matt! Hey! Hi! I thought that was your truck out front," Kaidan said, gratefully relinquishing one of the surprisingly heavy sacks. "Nice to finally meet you in person. Skype really doesn't do you justice."

They set the bags on the counter and turned towards one another. Matt shuffled a foot and Kaidan rubbed the back of his neck. Ianto leaned against the sink, crossed his arms, and tried to bite back his laugh at their shyness. "I like to watch," he supplied helpfully. Or maybe unhelpfully.

Kaidan laughed and Matt coughed. "Happy Birthday," Kaidan murmured.

For a moment the pair of them stared at each other. Kaidan had said that Skype hadn't done Matt justice, and Matt shared the sentiment towards Kaidan. He'd been half jealous when Ianto had video chatted with him several months ago and introduced his boyfriend. Matt was pretty sure he'd stared for a bit longer than was polite before plunking his head against his desk and saying, "are _all_ the firefighters in Virmire so impossibly hot?"

The couple half way across the country had laughed. "We're all pretty hot," Ianto had said with a dose of pride and self-flattery. "You're missing out."

"I'm getting that," Matt had answered. Then they'd fallen into easy conversation, the three of them. And as the days and weeks and calls went on, Kaidan showed up more frequently until he was there every time, sometimes even stealing Ianto's phone while they texted. 

Matt and Ianto told him about their fling back in the day, and rather than being jealous, Kaidan had been intriqued. His arresting brown eyes had been full of mirth and a hint of envy when he'd said, "you two are both so tall and built." He'd put his chin in his hand wistfully. "What I wouldn't give to have been a fly on the wall."

Matt had arched a scarred eyebrow and Ianto had laughed, wrapping an arm around Kaidan's shoulder, shaking him affectionately. "Hey, Matty, did I tell you Kaidan is fond of toys?"

From that moment on, they'd been fairly shameless with the flirting. Matt enjoyed the easy way Ianto and Kaidan flirted with him and with each other. Their casual touching and the obvious love between them. It never made him uncomfortable. Rather, he felt included. Like a third wheel was exactly what they wanted. And Matt... he'd be lying if he said it didn't make him feel ten feet tall. Kaidan was easygoing in some important ways, like Ianto. When he talked to Matt his gaze never wavered or flicked to his scars. Except for once when Matt had mentioned his discharge from the Army. Nothing had changed, though. Not until Matt had mentioned his birthday coming up soon. And suggested he take a road trip to Virmire. You know. So they could all spend some time together in person. Maybe. If that'd be okay.

Now they were in the same room for real. Ianto lingering behind them with an expectant smile on his full lips. When he shifted minutely, Matt blinked and caught his eye. Ianto winked and Kaidan's chest slid against Matt's before their lips met. A tiny whimper escaped Kaidan's throat. Matt closed his eyes.

"I _really_ like to watch," Ianto's voice was closer now. He'd come up behind Kaidan, hands grasping the shorter man's hips, lining their bodies up. His mouth pressed against the back of Kaidan's neck while his hands moved forward to secure Kaidan between himself and Matt. Matt's hands had been cupping Kaidan's face, but they dropped to grasp Ianto's forearms tightly until the kiss ended. Kaidan licked his lips. Matt mirrored the movement. Ianto moaned softly.

"Is this okay?" Matt asked after a pause.

" _So_ okay," Ianto confirmed. The tea kettle whistled and he moved away to turn the stove off, but not before giving Matt's hand an encouraging squeeze. 

Kaidan still stood close to Matt. "We wouldn't have asked if it wasn't."

Matt cleared his throat. "I mean... I know we talked about it before, but I guess... I guess I still wasn't sure if it was for real or not."

Kaidan's fingers feathered up to brush over the unscarred side of Matt's face. "Are _you_ okay with it? We're not going to pressure you for anything that you don't want. It's just nice to have you here."

Matt's smile was warm. "I'm more than fine with it. For real."

Ianto slipped beside them again, holding mugs out to both Kaidan and Matt, then picked up his own off the counter. "Happy Birthday," he grinned raising his mug in toast. "However you want it."

They clinked their mugs together. "Thank you," Matt said meaningfully. "The stuff you've done for me? It's amazing. No one's ever... I mean, Citadel is a pretty small town."

"It's a nice place," Ianto answered fondly, catching Matt's meaning, "but I get that it's probably hard to find someone when you know everybody so well."

"In the _meantime_ ," Kaidan said pointedly.

"Dinner first?" Ianto teased.

"Dessert first," Matt returned.

"Nice try. I'm hungry as hell," Kaidan said.

Ianto chuckled. "It's unwise to get between the man and his food."

"I'm hungry, too," Matt admitted with a grin. "What can I help with?" He turned to the grocery bags and began to empty them.

"You're the guest," Kaidan said, hip checking him casually out of the way, but still didn't stop Matt from gathering the salad ingredients to open and wash. Ianto took charge of preparing the steaks and baked potatoes when Kaidan went out to the back deck to fire up the grill. When he came back inside, he had Matt's suitcase with him. He took it back to the bedroom then retrieved the steaks.

"Do we have to go out there and keep him company?" Matt asked warily.

"No," Ianto laughed, putting the potatoes in the oven. He came around the counter to help Matt cut the vegetables. "Too cold for your delicate sensibilities?"

"I'm from the desert," he pointed out with a frown.

"Hey, I don't think either Kaidan or I could survive a summer out in Citadel. He's from Canada. He'd melt in seconds."

"I'm not exactly a fan, either," Matt admitted, finishing the salad and taking it into the dining room. "You know, Kaidan is... you found yourself a pretty remarkable man."

Ianto leaned against back against the table, flattening his palms out on the polished wood behind him. Crossed his ankles. "I put him through a lot to get to this point, if you want to know the truth. Shit I didn't even know about and that he kept to himself for years. But it is what it is and I know _exactly_ how lucky I am."

The corner of Matt's lips tipped up into a small smile. "I'm jealous of you." He held his hand out and Ianto took it, stroking his palm and fingers.

"You'll find someone," he said gently. "You like to sell yourself short, but you shouldn't. You're the whole fucking package with whipped cream and a cherry on top. There's some lonely drifter out there who'll ride into town on his Harley looking for someone just like you to kill the wanderlust."

Matt threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, yeah, because clichés like _that_ happen all the time."

Shrugging, Ianto said, "never know. It could happen."

"Even if it doesn't, I'm glad you think so." He stepped closer and pressed a short, chaste kiss on Ianto's lips.

"I'm a hell of an optimist."

"Works for me."

***

Dinner progressed amiably. In fact, Matt had enough fun as the rest of his anxiety bled off amidst good conversation, incredible food, and another low dose of his medication. By the time the sun had completely set, he felt like he'd been in Virmire for a lifetime considering how comfortable he was. Though, knowing his friends, he'd get a real talking-to about missing his birthday there once he got back, but it was worth it. So worth it. Ianto kept his arm swung over the back of his chair the whole time that they lingered over beers at the table, gently rubbing his neck, thumbing across the small scar there, and Kaidan was playing a fairly arousing game of footsie under the table. By the time the dishes were cleared from the table, a knot of anticipation had coiled in Matt's chest, growing slowly all the time.

They argued lightly over what to watch on Netflix while jostling around each other in the small kitchen putting away the leftovers and loading the dishwasher. Once Matt's _Back to the Future_ suggestion won, Kaidan finished putting the last plate in the dishwasher, stood straight, and wiped a hand over his forehead. "I really need a shower first. I feel disgusting. Dryer vent exploded all over me during my last repair call."

Ianto chuckled and smacked Kaidan's ass. "Get to it, then."

Kaidan finished his beer and put his bottle into the recycling bin, smiling as he stripped off his shirt on the way to the bathroom. He heard Matt say, "you get that view every day?" before he closed the door behind him.

The pipes groaned a little in the walls when the water came on. Matt sipped his beer, watching Ianto. Ianto sipped _his_ beer, watching the mechanic. "I know what you want," he said wickedly, lowering the bottle and placing it deliberately on the counter. He reached out and took Matt's from his unprotesting grasp, placing it on the counter, too.

"Are you a mind reader now?" He skimmed his fingers under the hem of Ianto's t-shirt. Goosebumps rose on Ianto's tawny skin as he shuffled closer.

"Yeah, a little. I want the same thing."

Ianto grabbed a handful of Matt's shirt in his hands and ripped it up and over his head, leaving Matt no choice but to raise his arms or get tangled. He only had a moment to get reacquainted with the mechanic's torso before it was his turn to have his shirt removed in a flash. Then they were kissing like their lives depended on it. Hands tracing over scars and muscle lines and warming everywhere they touched. Almost frantic as they pulled belts off and flung pants away on their stumble to the bathroom.

"Missed this so fucking much," Matt mumbled against Ianto's lips. The firefighter backed Matt against the bathroom door and they collided against it when Ianto failed to reach the handle in time. But it hardly slowed Matt down from his mission of divesting them of their boxers and socks. "Kaidan won't mind?" he thought to ask breathlessly.

"He's probably waiting for us," Ianto assured him. Between heated kissing against bare skin he managed to add, "bathroom remodel is done. The shower's huge." He finally grabbed the door handle with a small grunt of triumph and pushed. It upset their footing slightly and they both ended up crashing into the bathroom more than simply entering it.

Ianto had spoken the truth about the room. It hadn't been finished in the pictures he'd sent, but the shower took up the entire back wall now, inlaid with a dark stone bench and shower heads on both the front and back walls. Glass walls blocked it off from the sinks and toilet, and it looked as if it could fit about five people comfortably. Matt grinned as he halted in the middle of the room, catching sight of Kaidan through the fogging glass. "Hello there, handsome," he said.

"What took you so long?" Kaidan answered, bracing a hand on the shower door to push it open. He let Matt and Ianto have a full view as he stroked himself slowly, water cascading off his frim body. "Don't leave me hanging."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Matt said, enthralled.

Hands on his shoulders warned him briefly before he found himself swung around and roughly hauled up into Ianto's arms. He moaned, wrapping his legs around the firefighter's waist, bucking his hips slightly to feel the hard length of Ianto's dick slide up against his ass. He dug his fingers into Ianto's shoulders, kissing him hard. Biting at his lips. Ianto walked them forward under the spray of warm water. It hit his sensitive skin with a pleasing staccato that both relaxed and aroused him even more.

"Amazing bath," Matt murmured, thrilled with Ianto's show of manhandling, his dick harder by the second when Kaidan's hands trailed over his back to his waist, guiding them all to the bench. He found himself deposited into Kaidan's lap, back pressed to the firefighter's chest, legs spread. Kaidan planted open mouthed kisses and nips to his shoulders and back while Ianto knelt down in front of them. "If I pass out it's the both of your faults. I can't... _fuck_ , I really... please."

Ianto glanced up and caught Kaidan's eye. "He said please."

Kaidan's hands worked over every inch of Matt's body starting at his knees, sweeping up his inner thighs, pointedly ignoring his hard length. "You're right. I definitely heard him say please." He continued up further, over Matt's tight abs that spasmed in a ticklish/turned on way, to his chest, tweaking his nipples. 

Matt's back bowed and he gritted his teeth against a harsh moan. His head rolled back to Kaidan's shoulder. Kaidan bit down just shy of painfully on the curve of the mechanic's neck. His hands kept in constant motion, teasing, fondling, and then they disappeared for a moment, but Matt didn't even notice because the lack of touch had been replaced with Ianto's tongue flat on his dick, licking slowly from root to tip, then dipping into the slit gently.

"Oh, god," Matt breathed. "Oh, fuck." He reached for Ianto, grabbing a handful of his black hair and hanging on, arms trembling with the desire to both force him to suck him off deeply, and at the same time to simply hold on for dear life. " _Please_. Shit, shit, _please_ ," he begged loudly.

He could feel Ianto's hot breath on his cock when the firefighter said in a low, rough drawl, "he asked so nicely, Kaidan. Give him a reward."

The reason Kaidan stopped touching him became clear when his hands returned, one to brace Matt's chest, and the other to slip between them. He pressed one finger against the tight ring of muscle at Matt's entrance making the mechanic startle then shimmy his hips for a better angle. Kaidan's lips touched his ear and he murmured, "I'm going to bury myself inside you," at the same moment he slid his lubed finger past the resistance.

Matt's back arched again and this time Ianto was there to meet him, his mouth closing over the head of Matt's dick and sucking lightly. Not enough friction to truly hit the spot, but if the point was to make him crazy while Kaidan loosened him up, it was working. He lost track of time and most of his senses with Kaidan's fingers and Ianto's mouth working him over, but snapped back to himself when Kaidan finally said, "I think you're ready."

"So ready. So fucking ready."

Ianto grabbed at Matt's hips to help his balance while Kaidan deftly unrolled and lubed up a condom over his own dick. He positioned himself, nodded to Ianto, and then slowly, carefully, thrust inside Matt. Matt keened, his voice echoing off the stone and glass. Ianto did the same while watching his boyfriend and his lover move together for a minute before angling his head to take Matt into his mouth again. He relaxed his jaw and held still so that the rhythm of Kaidan's thrusts slipped Matt's dick into and out of his mouth.

The amount of pleasure shooting through him left Matt unable to concentrate or control his voice. Kaidan murmured dirty praise against the shell of his ear. Ianto's moans vibrated against his cock. He didn't even know what he was saying, or if the garbled words made any sense at all. All he knew was that the two men with him had him and wouldn't let him drown. Literally or figuratively. It wound him tighter and tighter. It was like he could feel every drop of water and brush of wet skin on skin. He tried to warn Ianto before he came, but the words either didn't make it from his brain to his vocal chords, or the taller firefighter didn't care. He came, nearly screaming his release. Stars exploded behind his closed eyelids. He yanked harshly on Ianto's hair and looped his other arm around the back of Kaidan's neck. By the time he could open his eyes again, Kaidan had pulled out and disposed of the condom and Ianto had raised up to kiss him, lingering and calming. Against his back he could feel... "you're still hard," he croaked to Kaidan.

Kaidan chuckled against the space between his shoulder blades. "No worries. You were first. Just sit back and relax." His gravelly voice was a balm on his shattered nerves. Matt did as he was told, moving out of Kaidan's lap directly under the spray of the front showerhead. He watched Kaidan walk directly into Ianto's arms with another condom ready to put on the taller man.

"Think we should give him a show?" Ianto grinned against Kaidan's lips.

He didn't answer immediately, in favor of kissing Ianto deeply. "Being such a great sport so far? He's earned it."

Matt nodded eagerly. Ianto laughed and Kaidan grinned, turning around and planting his hands on the wall on either side of Matt's head and spreading his legs. "Do you like to watch, too?"

"Definitely. You two are incredible."

"Feel free to help us out if you're back on Earth," Ianto teased. Matt caught sight of him behind Kaidan when the shorter man bent his back lower to be able to meet Matt halfway for a kiss. He broke it off with a gasp when Ianto pushed inside him, but fumbled down to brace himself on Matt's shoulders and find the proper rhythm. Then he alternated kissing the mechanic and cursing with pleasure. Matt thought it was the most beautiful thing he'd seen in ages.

He batted Ianto's hand away from Kaidan's dick and took the man in hand himself with a sigh. The silky skin slid against his callused palm with every thrust, and if he hadn't been beyond spent right then, he would have probably jumped back to attention with a quickness. But this was perfect, too. He'd fantasized about Ianto and Kaidan together before. Fucking him and fucking each other. This dream come true was better than anything else, and he did his best to memorize every second. The way their voices blended. Matt whispering praise. Ianto turning his face up and growling deep in his chest. Kaidan breathlessly begging the both of them to make him come. _Now._

Ianto's thrusts became frantic, wet skin slapping together with an obscene sound. Matt quickened his pace jacking Kaidan off, and Kaidan's fingers dug into Matt's shoulders, bruising. 

Kaidan came first, loud, muscles clenched taut. He spilled against Matt's chest and lap, the water washing it away right after. Ianto went completely still above them, then limp. "Fuck," he muttered in ecstasy.

Matt kissed Kaidan one more time then helped him stand up properly, Ianto following slowly with a groan of effort.

"That was amazing," Matt said.

Kaidan smiled exhaustedly. "Who said threesomes aren't worth the trouble?"

"Not me," Ianto answered. He collapsed onto the bench with a grunt holding the shampoo. Bathing took some effort with the lazy kisses and touches that followed between them, but eventually they finished and stepped out of the shower to dry off.

"How did we not run out of hot water?" Matt asked curiously, scrubbing Ianto's hair with the towel affectionately.

"Tankless water heater," Kaidan said, wrapping his towel around his waist. "Installed it myself. Limitless hot water."

The trio retreated to the bedroom to put on their clothes and then made their way to the living room to fall onto the couch for movies and more warm tea. Ianto and Kaidan sat shoulder to shoulder, Matt splayed out on his back, head in Ianto's lap, legs tucked over Kaidan's thighs. Kaidan took control of the remote to turn on the movie. 

Once they'd been settled and quiet for a few minutes, Ianto idly running his hands over Matt's soft shaved head, a fat Scottish Fold jumped onto the couch and rubbed enthusiastically over Matt's bare feet before climbing up his legs to park himself on the mechanic's hips.

"Hey, big guy!" Matt said, scratching the cat's head until it purred loudly.

"Blasto makes an appearance," Ianto said. "How's your cat doing?"

"Normandy? She's great. Full grown now and so friendly."

"Your car is called the _Normandy_ ," Kaidan pointed out, glancing over to Ianto.

Matt chuckled, a little embarrassed. "I named her after the car. Have you _seen_ that work of art? Jesus, it's something else. And Ianto rescued the cat, so it seemed to fit."

Kaidan laughed. "I failed to hear about this cliché story before," he accused Ianto.

"There's a reason for that," Ianto huffed.

Kaidan and Matt were laughing when Matt said, "to make a long story short, Ianto rescued a fucking kitten out of a tree when he was in Citadel. Then he felt bad for it and took it to his hotel room instead of the shelter. He granted me custody and I've been with her ever since."

"That's really sweet," Kaidan insisted when Ianto made an irritated noise. "Very much a typical firefighter story, but still good samaritan work!"

"You're laughing about me saving any life in need of rescue," Ianto said moodily.

Matt reached up and patted his cheek. "Don't be angry after the evening we've had, baby."

"Listen to the man," Kaidan chuckled. "He knows what he's talking about."

"Keep making fun of me and neither of you will have this great of a birthday ever again."

"Guess I'll stop then," Matt intoned dryly. "If we can get some popcorn for this movie marathon."

"I'll do it," Kaidan said quickly, shifting Matt's legs off of him without upsetting the cat. "Ianto will only burn half of it."

Ianto nodded. "True story. Making popcorn on the stove is dark magic."

"Only because you get distracted all the time." He retreated to the kitchen and Matt and Ianto settled back in for the movie.

"Thank you," Matt said. "You really didn't have to do any of this."

He felt Ianto shift above him with a shrug. "It actually wasn't my idea, originally. Kaidan's really open minded and he said that I sounded... _wistful_ when I talked about you."

"Did you?" Matt asked, turning his head to stare up at the firefighter.

"I probably did," Ianto admitted, rubbing his jaw. "I'm not really used to being more than friends, but less than lovers with anyone. But however we define the relationship between us, it's incredibly valuable to me. Kaidan knows that. And he's the kind of guy who's happier the happier his partner is."

Matt leaned into Ianto's hands gently massaging his scalp. "I'm grateful. You two... you didn't have to do what you did. Include me in your relationship."

"Does it bother you in the cold light of day?"

"No," Matt said firmly. "I love it."

"Me, too."

"Me, too," Kaidan said from the doorway where he hovered to hear the popcorn on the stove. "And don't give me _too_ much credit for being a selfless person. I got as much pleasure out of it as the both of you. In fact, I kinda feel like you guys included me, rather than me accepting the both of you."

Matt smiled and Ianto couldn't resist bending down to taste it. "I think Virmire is going to become my favorite vacation spot."

"You're welcome here any time," Ianto said.

"As long as you'll have us," Kaidan said warmly.

"Noted," Matt answered, enjoying the blissful feeling of comfort flowing through him as he turned his attention back to the TV. Maybe it was his home away from home. But whatever he _called_ it, the fact remained that it felt exactly like the oasis he'd been looking for outside of the confines of his own home in Citadel. He loved the small town, but still sometimes felt like an outsider after returning home from the war. It wouldn't always be that way, the more he could overcome his mental setbacks, but until it did? The welcoming rest Ianto and Kaidan offered, was the gift he needed. The gift he wanted. And he took it with all his heart.


End file.
